CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – An outpouring of support continues for Chicopee Police Officer Mark Wilkes who suffered a massive heart attack during a charity hockey game this past spring.
On Thursday, Rumbleseat owner Bill Stetson presented Officer Wilkes with a check for $13,000. The donation is the culmination of a number of fundraisers for Wilkes, including a golf tournament earlier this month. Stetson told 22News he hopes the funds will help cover the gap as Wilkes is still recovering from his near-death experience.
Wilkes told 22News he’s grateful for everyday, “There’s a higher power up there that’s looking out for you. There’s a reason why I’m still here. All the doctors said 80 percent of the people who go through what you go through don’t make it, so I feel like I’m blessed and I’m honored that I’m still here.”
Wilkes is a 23-year veteran of the Chicopee Police Department. He said he’ll have to retire but hopes to one day be able to live a normal life.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in 1953 by providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow 22News on X @WWLP22News, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
